Hey there, fellow word nerds! 🤓 I’ve just completed my first 90 days as a UX writer for a Learning Management System (LMS). So now I’m what they call an adopter in the design thinking learners' journey. This means I’ve adopted design thinking, begun practicing it, and had some successes and failures, but I’m still eager to learn and become a leader in this space. Thankfully I have a great team teaching me. So, as usual, I’m writing on this platform to share what I’m learning. This week’s topic is hyperlinks.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Hyperlinks are super important for making your website or app user-friendly. They are like secret pathways that take you to more information, resources, or helpful actions that you can take. But how you word and present these hyperlinks can significantly impact how users interact with them. In this blog post, I’ll share 5 guidelines I follow to make sure my hyperlinks are easy to understand and use. Plus, I’ll provide examples specific to LMS to illustrate these best practices.

Let’s start with descriptive text for clear context.

When creating hyperlinks, it is essential to use descriptive text that accurately represents the linked content. Rather than using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more,” the hyperlink text should provide users with a clear understanding of what they will find by reading the link text alone. For instance, instead of saying, “Click here to view the course syllabus,” consider using “View the course syllabus.”

Remember, active language prompts action.

When you’re writing hyperlinks, make sure to use active language. This makes it easier for users to know what they need to do. Instead of using passive phrases like “Click here to download a CSV file with a detailed report,” try using more action-oriented language like “Download the CSV file for a detailed report.” You can see the impact of removing “click here” in this scenario — it’s direct and concise, and users are more likely to click on it without even being told to do so.

Use concise wording for clarity.

So, when it comes to links, you want to keep them short and sweet — think 2–5 words. You don’t want to confuse or overload people with long sentences. And remember, clarity is key! People should be able to quickly glance at the link and know exactly what it’s for, no questions asked. For example, instead of “Click here to view your current grades,” you could say “View grades.”

Prioritize SEO optimization because it also improves accessibility.

Okay, so when you’re making a hyperlink, think about using words or phrases that help with search engine optimization (SEO) rankings. This not only helps people find what they’re looking for, but also helps out folks who use screen readers or other assistive technologies. That’s because when you use descriptive and relevant keywords, it’s easier for everyone to understand what the link is all about, no matter how they’re browsing the web or what kind of access they need. Here’s an example: instead of saying “Check out our available courses” within an LMS, you could use the wording “Explore online courses for professional development.” This change alone can help the user understand clearly what they will see when they click the link.

Make sure your document is easy to read with some visual distinction.

To enhance usability and provide visual cues, hyperlinks should be visually distinguishable from regular text. You can do this by underlining them, making them blue, or even making them bold This helps users quickly identify clickable elements and understand their functionality. For example, Complete the quiz. You can expect this to take you back to a quiz you started but didn’t finish. (Unfortunately, I cannot change the link color to blue in Medium but, imagine it blue).

As I mentioned, I am still learning to implement best practices into my UX writing process, but I see how it enhances the user experience and improves accessibility. All the examples I included were for an LMS because that’s the sector I work in, but no matter what product you’re working on, taking the time to think about your hyperlinks can pay off in the end with more engaged and satisfied users. Please drop a note in the comments if this article was useful to you or if you would like to share your tips and knowledge about utilizing hyperlinks in product wording.